All well for Hoops as they survive scare at the death
Welsh (2), Edouard (50) MOTHERWELL 1 Campbell (65)
Celtic’s second win in four days was nothing like as easy as their first.
Seconds before referee Nick Walsh blew for full-time, Diego Laxalt had to frantically hook Harry Smith’s header off his goalline.
Had he not succeeded in doing so, the Hoops would have potentially lost even more ground to Rangers at the top of the table.
In fact, such is the size of the gap, it might be more pertinent to say their advantage over third-placed Hibs would have been a worrying looking four points, albeit with two games in hand.
As it was Stephen Welsh’s first goal for the club and Odsonne Edouard’s 17th of the season were enough to give them back-to-back wins for the first time in the year 2021.
“I was hoping it was over the line!” said Motherwell manager Graham Alexander.
“To be honest, I spoke to the linesman and he said he was in line and I have seen it since and he got it spot on.
“So we were a couple of millimetres short of getting a valuable point because once we got the goal back I thought we had them on the rack.
“We had them putting clearances out, slashing at stuff, clearing balls off the line. I thought the players were exceptional today because we know what a tough ask it is coming here.”
Celtic started right where they left off at Rugby Park in Tuesday’s 4-0 win over Kilmarnock.
With less than 120 seconds on the clock, Liam Kelly, Motherwell’s on-loan goalkeeper from Queens Park Rangers, found himself having to pick the ball out of the net.
David Turnbull swung in a corner from the right and from six yards out Stephen Welsh sent a bullet header into the net.
If it was impressive stuff from the 21-year-old Celt, though it was poor from the Motherwell defence who left him unchallenged.
Kelly could have been forgiven then for suspecting he would have plenty more opportunities to show his worth during the afternoon and within a few minutes he made a decent stop, blocking Jonjoe Kenny’s effort from close in.
Kenny, a 23-year-old newly arrived on loan from Everton, has slotted seamlessly into the Celtic side.
He might not have Jeremie Frimpong’s ability to slalom his way through a succession of opponents but he looks a decent addition for Neil Lennon.
Motherwell were a little listless in the first half, their best opportunity coming from a set-piece right on the edge of the Celtic box.
Chris Long, who won the award by drawing a foul from Kris Ajer, took it himself but sent his effort straight at keeper Scott Bain.
They did not learn their lesson about the need to start sharply either, conceding a second soon after their return from the break.
This one was from a much more familiar source: the boot of Odsonne Edouard.
Celtic’s French star went into the game with a record of four goals from his last three outings so it was hardly a huge surprise to see him make it five from four.
There was nothing routine about his finish, however.
Collecting a pass rolled inside from Callum McGregor, he spun in a tight circle and sent a precise shot low into the near post.
Edouard had been pretty quiet up to that point, other than flashing a header wide early on he did not much of note.
Celtic soon had even more reason to be grateful for his contribution with Motherwell pulling one back through a speculative Alan Campbell effort that looped up and over Scott Bain with the aid of a favourable deflection.
Graham Alexander had been planning to make changes anyway and the goal caused him to change his thinking.
Three new faces: Mark O’Hara, Jordan Roberts and Harry Smith quickly became two with the last named of the trio told to retake his seat on the bench.
His opposite number, Lennon, got busy too, sending on Leigh Griffiths, Ismaila Soro and Diego Laxalt on in place of Albian Ajeti, Scott Brown and Greg Taylor.
They were not finished there either with Smith – finally – the visitors and Norwegian internationalist Moi Elyounoussi introduced as a replacement for David Turnbull later on with the Motherwell sub making the biggest impact.